Stirring the Ice
by I painted the kitten
Summary: [Miracle] Is there any room for girls on the USA 1980 Olympic Team? Some think so, some don’t. What happens when an old friend shows up and tries to help with the team? PLEASE R&R (This story is on temp. hiatus.)
1. Hunter Returns

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Miracle, the 1980 hockey game, or any of the characters. I wish I owned a few of the boys…that'd be cool. Anyway, I just write stories about them._

_Summary: Is there any room for girls on the USA 1980 Olympic Team? Some think so, some don't. What happens when an old friend shows up and tries to help with the team?_

_Notes: I don't know a whole lot about the team or the players, but I'm trying to learn. Please excuse any mistakes, but when you review, correct them for me! That would be really awesome._

_And now I present to you…_

Stirring the Ice

"You have Jim Craig to back up Janisack?"

"Other way around."

"Other way around? I'm sorry, but didn't Janisack just win you a national championship?"

"Janny is a solid goal tender, but we're not playing for the national championship here, Craig."

"You know people I speak to say that Craig's game's been off ever since his Mom died."

"You ever see him when his game's on?"

Craig Patrick smiled at his old friend. 'I guess not Herb. I guess not,' he thought, watching Herb Brooks walk out of the box. Seconds later, a young woman appeared. She looked a little lost, but strangely comfortable.

"Do you know where Coach Brooks is, sir?" she asked, eyes cast to the ground.

"He just left. Can I help you? I'm Coach Patrick."

She smiled at him shyly, still not looking him in the eye. "I'm not sure, sir. I'd like to help out with the hockey team." Craig tried to hide his surprise, having difficulties. Her? Help with the team? He sized up her curvy frame, eyeing the Blackhawks jersey that hung from her torso. It seemed possible that she played hockey, but there was no way she would be able to help the team.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, looking her in the face.

"You said he just left?" She looked at him, knowing exactly what he thought. It certainly wasn't the first time she'd encountered this. The best way to deal with it was to be a bit pushy. "I'll go look for him. He knows who I am." He looked at her strangely. "Thanks Coach," she added.

As she walked out, Craig looked at her from behind. He couldn't believe this girl intended to help out with an Olympic hockey team.

-

"Mr. Brooks," she called, running after him. She had spotted him not too far down the hall. "Mr. Brooks! Coach!" she shouted without avail. She hadn't known him to be too hard of hearing. "HERB!" she hollered, finally getting him to turn around. He looked at her searchingly, not sure of whom she was.

"Can I help you?" Herb was not sure what young girl like her would be yelling out his name at the rink. He wasn't sure, for that matter, who'd be yelling his name like that at all.

"Coach Brooks! Remember me?" She extended her arms, cocking an eyebrow at him. "You played with my Dad, right before the '64 Olympics. You made the team, but he didn't. My dad was Jerry Patton. I'm…Hunter," she said, praying that he would remember.

Herb stared at her face, as though the memories would somehow appear on her face. All the sudden, a light bulb went off in his head. "You're Patty's kid? Yeah, I remember you! Hunter, wow," he paused, "you've gotten big." He shook his head, kicking himself that he had forgotten her.

She just grinned. "I'm just going to be blunt Coach. I want to help out with this team. I _need_ to help out with this team." Her grin vanished. "For my dad."

"Your dad? What happened to him?" he asked, looking worried.

"Not sure. He left a few months ago."

"Left?"

"Yeah, just up and left me and my mom."

"So, what, you want to help for your dad? Do you think it'll bring him back?"

Hunter nodded at him, brows furrowed, eyes glassy with tears

"Well…you are a hell of a skater, I know that. I don't know if we need the help," Herb said, stopping himself. Did he really want to do this? "But, okay. Be here tomorrow at 8:00. Okay?"

"Yes," she gulped. "Thanks Coach. I owe you one."

"Show me what you can do for these boys and maybe you won't."

Hunter nodding, both parted ways, Herb to address the boys, Hunter to set up a bed in the backseat of her car. 'It'll be worth it,' she thought.

**Author's Note: There it is y'all. I'm writing more now, though, I promise! Please, please, PLEASE RR! I'd like at least 3 before I put up the next chapter. I'll respond to anyone reviews in my next chapter. Lots of love…  
****-Shelby**


	2. She's a Hot Little Number

_HOCKEYFAN-68 –Good to hear you liked the ending! Hope you like the rest of the story too!_

_BellaLou- Sorry, but you'll have to wait till Chapter 4 to figure out a love interest. I'll be reading your Miracle fanfic soon!_

_Miss Kitten- Thank you, thank you, thank you! Don't worry, I don't take it personally; I love to get criticism. I'll be using your ideas in the next few chapters I write. The first one was written in a bit of haste because the idea came so quickly. I promise I won't hold any more chapters hostage! _

_Meadow567 – Happy you enjoyed it. The new chapters are coming up soon._

_Anmerie- Yay! My first reviewer! Thanks a ton for the review, I hope you like the upcoming chapters._

**Okay everyone, the chapter is ready. Actually, Chapter 3 is ready also and Chapter 4 is well on its way. Thank you for the great reviews! I hope you enjoy these next few; I know I had fun writing them. Chapter 5 may take a while, as I am writing 2 Numb3rs fanfics as well, along with nurturing ideas for some other stories. Please excuse any hiatus.**

Hunter was never one to notice the cold of an ice rink. Maybe she had as a child, but spending her life on the ice had numbed her to the cold. Everything about a rink she loved. Nothing made her feel at home more than the rush of frigid air upon entering the ice.

That morning, Hunter was skating around the team's practice rink, trying to work out the knots in her muscles. Sleeping in the backseat of a car reeked havoc on a body, but it was the only choice she had. After spending a ridiculous amount of money on gas, she had none left over to pay for a hotel room.

Her mind was wondering to her days of young, learning to play hockey with her dad, the first broken arm she got. That memory made her laugh; she'd started quite a rivalry with another boy on her team when she was 12 years old and he had checked her a little too hard. A little too hard was actually an understatement. She had yet to be checked as hard since. Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the doors opening. The blond head of Jack O'Callahan appeared, followed by a stick. He walked in and looked at the girl skating strangely. Obviously upset that she was snapped out of her daydream, she nodded to him.

"Who're you?" she asked, pushing her shoulder length brown hair out of her eyes. Both of her gloves, her only equipment, lay on the ice beside her and her hands rested on her stick.

"Jack. O'Callahan. And you are?" he retorted. He already wasn't thinking fondly of this girl.

"You're O'Callahan? I've heard a lot about you. You're a bit early, aren't you?" She smiled at him, trying to seem nice. They would be spending a lot of time together, might as well have a friend.

"Yeah, well, I figure Herb would like it if I was." He shook his head and got out on the ice, moving his legs around weirdly, trying to warm them up. "You still haven't answered my question. Who're you?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. "HP? You have gotta be kiddin' me! HP, what the hell are ya doin' here?" Both whipped around to see the oh-so-familiar moustache and long red hair.

"Coxy? You're on this team? Alright!" Ralph Cox ran out onto the ice without skates and grabbed Hunter in a hug. "It's been way too long!"

"Yeah it has! How's my favorite girl doin'?" he asked, smiling at her and giving her a playful shove.

Jack looked at them, thoroughly confused. "Hey Cox," he said, still looking at Hunter strangely.

"Hey OC! Nice to see ya. I see you met HP already."

Hunter smiled at them both. "Not quite. I'm Hunter Patton. My friends call me HP."

"I think he stole the initial idea from ya, HP," Cox said, winking at her.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." She rolled her eyes at Cox. "I've got so many nicknames, it's not even funny. If people don't call me HP, it's Puck or Patty. Patty was my dad's nickname, so I got stuck with it."

"How about HP? I don't mind sharing initials." He reached out a gloved hand and shook Hunter's bare one, making her hand look tiny.

"You're so sweet," she said laughing. "I have to go guys. Meet up with Herb, you know. See you soon!" She skated off, waving to them.

"She's a hot little number," OC said after she'd skated off.

"You better believe it. I've known her for a long time and she is a great catch." Cox smiled. "Gotta change all the way. See ya."

OC gave him a light smack on the shoulder. "See ya." Scratching his head, he started to skate around the rink again, waiting for the others to come.

**Author's Note: I know the dialogue is a bit heavy in this chapter, but it should slim down within the next few. I hope you all enjoy this! There's been a bit of an issue which as resulted in me not being able to read reviews off the site, SO…please don't be offended if I missed your review. It was a mistake. **

**-Shelby**


	3. Putting Mac in his Place

**I hope you all like this chapter. It'll show a little more of Hunter's tough side and it'll be a little more exciting to read. Hope you enjoy. For all you Mac fans, so sorry….**

Hunter stuck her head into the team locker room. "Everyone decent? Close enough?" she called. A few suggestive things were yelled back, which she shrugged off. "Okay, I'm coming in. Everyone beware, the estrogen is entering!"

A group of laughter could be heard as she passed around the corner of the lockers. She cocked her eyebrow happily at the boys who were missing shirts before she leaning against a locker.

"Herb wants you guys out on the rink pronto. If he says that, ya better hurry up. I know Herb and he's not soft about being on time." She could feel the eyes of the guys on her, looking her over. "That's all for now. See you soon boys," she remarked with a wave and left the room. The boys started chatting to each other about her and the team when Rob McClanahan walked in. He took a seat next to Mike Eruzione and began to get dressed.

"You're Robbie McClanahan, right?"

Hunter sat in the locker room, throwing towels around. She wanted to be out on the ice with the team, but Herb thought differently. Something about the boys not listening well to some girl no one knew. 'No one 'cept Coxy,' she thought. No matter. She thought she'd hang around the lockers, cleaning up a bit while practice was on. All the sudden she heard voices outside the door and creeped out into the hall. She walked past Rob McClanahan, one of the boys she had yet to meet.

"Hey gorgeous, what's a pretty little thing like you doing in here?" he asked, watching her over his shoulder.

'Keep quiet, keep quiet,' she thought, ignoring the pain of her nails digging into her palm.

"You gonna talk?" he pestered, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. "You gotta problem with talking?"

Hunter's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry?" she said, daring him to speak again. Mac was never one to pick up on subtle things.

"Feisty little thing, aren't we? What are ya doing in the practice rink?"

Hunter could hear it in his voice and she hated it. She could hear the sound of sexism, of ego in his words. It took all she could not to swing back and punch him. She stood up to him, her height only under his because of the skates on his feet. Her eyes bore into his own, showing him she wasn't afraid.

"You know, that practice wasn't too bad," Cox remarked, carrying a bag into the room. Hunter backed off at the sound of his voice. "Hey HP. And McClanahan, right? You're the jerk that was beating on OC." Cox rolled his eyes at him and continued to walk down the hall. "See ya HP," he said, giving her a pinch in the side.

Mac smiled cheekily at her. "Oh, I see. One of the team girlfriends. Why didn't you just tell me cutie? We could have passed all this. Why Cox though? You know, there are plenty of guys on this team," he said, inching closer to her.

That was the last straw for her. No one mocked her like that and got away with it. As she pulled back her fist, Cox reappeared.

"I left my water bottle out here and…it seems I couldn't have picked a better time to come back out." Cox smiled and lunged at Hunter grabbing both her arms and pinning them behind her back. "Calm down HP. Chill. Just let it go." He could feel her tense muscles relax a little in his arms. Mac just snickered at them. After a minute, Hunter shook herself loose from Cox.

"I'm good Coxy, I'm good," she said, rolling her neck around. Cox put a hand on her shoulder, serving as her big brother. It was his normal role for them. Growing up together made sure of that. Of course, growing up with her should have hinted what happened next. Hunter never let anyone get the last word. As Ralph turned to leave, she pulled back and slugged Mac in the eye. He collapsed; whimpering from the shock the punch had put on his already hurt nose and pain of his already bad day.

"Yeah, okay Hunter, you're good, what ever you say," he snarked, grabbing her hand and stopping another hit. "Let's go find you some tea, or yoga, or something Zen." She just grinned at him, turning to go. She stopped and turned over her shoulder, spitting on the ground in front of Mac before walking away with Cox.

**Author's Note: All better y'all. I changed around Mac's words a bit. Now he's not such a jerk. Sorry about how it used to be, but I wasn't sure about where the story was going. I hope y'all like the changes.**

**-Shelby**


	4. Goodnight Rizzo

**I'm adding these chapters quickly, so I'm not getting any reviews or anything in between. Please excuse any total oblivious ignorance on my part!**

"Hunter," Herb said. "Get in here." Hunter snuck into his office, her hands in a knot behind her back.

"Hey coach. Listen, please don't be mad. I mean, if you'd heard the things he'd said," she blurted out quickly.

"Hunter, now just stop. I don't know what he said, but I can guess." He shook his head slightly. "We both knew full and well that this was coming. You can't tell me you weren't prepared for it."

"Well, sir, I didn't expect it like that. And I expected to have a little help, to at least have Cox around."

"From what I hear, he was around."

"Yes, sir, he was," she murmured.

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Oh, Hunter. I thought you said you had your fighting under control.

She tried to look as innocent as possible. It didn't quite work. "Well…I…umm…do?" she sputtered, ending it with her famous puppy dog eyes.

"It sure as hell seems that way." Herb laughed at her and motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of his desk. "What am I gonna do with you?"

Her eyes grew wide. "Please don't kick me off the team Herb," she said with fear.

"You don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't think of sending you home. I think we really could use your help." She breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing that she had been holding her breath. "But as your punishment," he started, watching her grimace. "You have to go clean the ice." He winked at her. He'd known her long enough to know that she loved to drive the zamboni. It was one of her favorite things to do as a child.

She walked out of the office, smiling a thank you to Herb before running to the zamboni. She giggled like a giddy child.

Hunter had been spinning around the rink for about a half hour, taking many more circles than was needed. Something about the steady noise of the water stream, the fluid motion of the big machine on ice. Mike Eruzione had appeared on the bleachers, searching for something. She stopped the zamboni and smiled at him. She was taken with him more than the other players. Other players had caught her eye, the intense aura around Craig, the cute accent of OC, and the slow wit of Buzz, but Rizzo was her favorite. He was so much quieter than the other boys, slightly reserved. She could identify with him.

"Hey Rizzo! Whatcha looking for?" she called.

"Hey…Hunter? HP, right?" She nodded to him and he smiled, praising himself for remembering. "I can't find my jersey."

"Your spare one?" He nodded. "The green one?" He nodded again. "With a beaver patch on the sleeve?" He blushed and nodded for the third time. "Right here." She held up his jersey, wrinkling her nose at him.

"You found it?"

She smiled. "Eons ago. Okay, well, actually just about an hour ago, but whatever." He walked out on the ice and reached his arm out to grab it. She held it just out of his reach. "Wanna ride?" she asked playful. He reluctantly hopped on and she began to drive again.

The two began to talk and ride around the ice. She had plenty to talk about and found a way to get Rizzo to open up to her. He talked about when he was a child and the people he met playing hockey. Hunter talked about how hard it was to play hockey as a girl, but how it was the only thing she wanted to do. Little did they know, they had been talking for most of the night. The clock read 2:47 when it finally caught their eyes.

"Wow. It got late too quick," Rizzo said, turning the wheel on the zamboni. They had switched mid way through and now Hunter sat next to him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Definitely too quick," she agreed, sitting up, blinking to try and get rid of the throbbing in her head.

"Can I drive you back to your hotel room?" he asked, being the gentleman he was.

"No. Thanks, but no," she said.

"Why not?" He looked slightly hurt.

"Nothing against you Riz. It's just…I could drive you back to your hotel room with my own." He stared at her blankly, not positive what she meant.

"You mean you're staying in your…"

"You better believe it. How else would I get here so early?" She smiled, driving the zamboni back into its place.

They both hopped off, Rizzo helping her off.

"G'night Rizzo. I had a great time."

"Me too. We'll have to talk again sometime."

"Mhmm," she agreed. She leaned into him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking out to her car. He grinned like an idiot, watching her go.

"Good night."

**Author's Note: Ah, Rizzo. You will make Hunter's life oh-so-difficult later on. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please keep on RR! It's the Red Bull to my keyboard!**

**-Shelby**


	5. I call it spunk

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews. They've been a great help. I've gone back and edited Chapter 3 a little bit to fit this chapter. Reading it isn't necessary, but it may be interesting to read what I wrote. It makes Mac a little better. Don't get me wrong y'all, Mac's one of my favorites, but I had my reasons. Also please excuse the misspelling of Janny's name. One of these days, I'll get around to fixing it. I would now, but I am planning on writing into chapter 6 at least. Who knows?

Hunter skated around the rink early in the morning like she always did. It was the advantage of having the keys to the rink. Some one the boys had gotten wind of this and liked to come early to skate with her. Herb still didn't want her to be out with the team all the time, but she did sneak out every now and then and do drills with them.

Hunter was used to some of the boys coming and skating with her, so she didn't look to the door when she heard it creak open. She figured it was Jimmy, ready to take some of her slap shots, or maybe Rizzo there to skate around with her for a little while.

"Hunter, right?" said the voice she had not wished to hear. She looked up to see Mac standing in his jersey and skates, stick in hand. He had a guilty look on his face. Hunter just nodded to him. "I heard from some of the boys that you skate early. Mind if I join you?"

Hunter wanted so badly to say no, to beat him to ground with her hockey stick. She knew, though, that she needed to be nice to all the guys if Herb was going to let her help the team. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she did want to patch up things with Mac. She couldn't understand why he had acted like he did, when he seemed like a decent guy.

"Sure, whatever," she said, taking off at full speed around the rink. She had to keep herself skating so she wouldn't act out. Herb was right; she didn't have her fighting under control.

Mac watched her skate around the rink, wishing she would slow down so he could talk to her. "Hey, Hunter? Do you think I could talk to you for a second?"

Hunter slowed down and looked at him from the other end of the rink. He wanted to talk? "Okay," she said, slowly skating to him. Mac stepped on the ice and met her half way.

"I'm really sorry," he started, "about…you know." Mac grimaced; it sounded so insincere in his ears. "I wish had said or done anything, but I couldn't help it." Hunter looked at him, not speaking, but letting him say what he needed to say. "People were just giving me crap all day. I had O'Callahan checking me for no reason, and then all of his guys are ragging on me during practice. Then coach pulls me and O'Callahan aside and chews both us out, but me worse since I hit back."

Hunter's face softened. She knew what it was like to get chewed out by a teammate or two. She had grown up with it. "I know what that's like, trust me."

Mac still wore his guilty face. "Right. I'm not used to girls not responding to me. Not that I'm this bigheaded jerk, but they don't normally shrug me off like you did. I guess that little thing just made me…you know, snap."

Hunter waited a moment, seeing if he was finished. When she saw he was, she started. "You acted like an ass. You really did, but since you realize that you did, I guess I can forgive you." Hunter sighed. "I did egg you on a bit, though, didn't I? Herb says I have a fighting issue. I call it spunk," she said, laughing. Mac relaxed a little and laughed as well.

"Yeah, I guess spunk is a word for it." Mac skated further out on the ice. "You're a hell of a skater. What is you job here, exactly?"

"I don't really know. Herb told me I could help out with the team, but what I'm doing exactly, no one knows. I mostly sit around the locker rooms and clean up after you pigs."

"We are pigs, aren't we?" Mac remarked, smiling. Hunter nodded before she took off and began to race around the rink. Mac took it as an invitation and a challenge and began to race after her. Herb appeared in the stands, unseen by both players. He nodded approvingly before disappearing to his office.


	6. Fun With Puck

**I know, I know, the last one was short. I'm going to go on a writing frenzy and get as far as I can in a few hours of writing. Hope you like everything. I'm going to try adding interactions with all the players, which is the only gripe I have about most of the Miracle Fics. Enjoy!**

A knock was heard on Cox's dorm door. "Hey Bah, get the door, would ya?" Cox asked, lying on his bed. Bah looked at him from his own bed and scowled.

"Why the hell should I get it?" he started, "Get off your own lazy ass and answer the door."

"Come on Bah! I'm tired. I've been skating all day!"

"Yeah, and I haven't?" He sighed, throwing a pillow at Cox.

"Aww, be a friend. Please?"

A groan escaped Bah's lips. "Fine, fine, but you owe me one Coxy!" He heard Cox reply under his breath as he got up and walked to the door, but he brushed it off with a laugh. He swung it open to see Hunter, arms crossed and foot tapping.

"It took you long enough, didn't it?" she said, giving Bah a little shove on the shoulder. "You can't be that tired. I skated with you today and practice was a cinch."

Cox threw his arms open upon seeing Hunter. "HP! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out getting a manicure or shopping or something?" Hunter shot him an evil look.

"Don't you wish. I'd rather be doing this," she remarked before tackling Cox on his bed. She pinned his shoulders to the bed and swung her long hair in his face. He sputtered, shaking his head, trying to escape the hair jungle.

"Damn Hunter! Get off!" he choked out, grinning broadly. "You know I hate that!"

She grinned cheekily, drooping more hair in his eyes. "You do?" she asked innocently. She kept him pinned for a few minutes, laughing the whole time.

Bah leaned against the doorframe, watching them curiously. He knew that the two knew each other, but he had no idea how well. From the looks of it, they were pretty close.

As strong as Hunter was, Cox was not the easiest one to keep still. He noticed her energy loss and took advantage of it. All at once, he drew his shoulders up as hard as he could, flinging Hunter off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud. Both Cox and Bah paused, worried that she was hurt for a moment, but were stopped by the sound of giggles rising from the floor.

"Ow," was all she managed to say between giggles. This continued for a minute or two before the sound trailed off.

"I need help. My sides hurt. I don't think I can get up." Only arms were seen, raised up in the air, from next to the bed. "Sheep man, help me!" she called, obviously intending the comment for Bah. His face turned a deep shade of pink, which forced Cox to laugh harder.

It took Bah a minute to decide whether or not he would respond. He decided he might as well act silly; it's not like anyone would see it besides Cox and Hunter. "Sheep man, to the rescue!" he said, striking a pose before fake running over to Hunter. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up. She grabbed him in a dramatic hug.

"Oh, thank you Sheep Man!" she said in her girly voice. "What would I ever do without…" She trailed off, cocking an eyebrow at the crowd in the doorway.

"Sheep Man? I wish I had thought of that one, Bah," said a voice that could have only belonged to OC. Bah slowly turned around to see OC, Silky, Rammer and Pav standing outside the room, all of them wearing smiles. The hyena laugh of Cox could be heard from the adjacent bed.

Hunter couldn't help but laugh. "Hey boys!" she said, waving to the crowd. Each waved back, murmuring hellos. "Is there a party in here I'm not aware of?"

Rammer was the next to speak. "We," he started, pointing to his roommate Pav, "heard a huge thud next door, which is your room. Or Bah and Coxy's room. I don't know why you're here Hunter."

"I heard the same thing," Silky said. "I came out and found these two guys and we all started over here to find out what happened."

"We stumbled upon this waste of air," Pav said, nudging OC, "and he just kind of followed us."

"Everything okay in here?" OC asked, rolling his eyes at Pav. "What was the thud?"

Hunter raised her hand and tried to keep a straight face. "I was the thud. Blame the hyena over there," she said, looking at Cox. He had finally stopped laughing and he wore a strange expression on his face, seeing that everyone was staring at him.

"She started it," he complained, pointing at Hunter like a 10 year old. "It's all HP's fault!"

"Bah, you can't let them get out of hand like that! You never know what they might do," Rammer said, winking at Cox. Hunter got up and jabbed him in the shoulder.

"Careful what you say Ram. She knows where you live," Bah said. Hunter growled convincingly. All the boys mockingly stepped back.

"Don't be scared of her guys. As long as you have a small rodent, like a hamster, handy, she's harmless." Hunter shot him a look that would have caused a lion to faint. No one was supposed to know she was scared of hamsters. "I…uh…need a shower. I'll be back. Uh…bye guys," he said, running into the bathroom. No one could hold in their laughter anymore. The sounds of deep laughs filled the halls and swirled around the room. As soon as everyone calmed down, clutching their sides in pain, Hunter stood up.

"I have to go guys. Get the ice ready for Herb. You know how he is. At least he lets me drive the zamboni," Hunter said. OC flinched at the idea of Hunter driving around like a manic. "Remember boys, practice tonight! See you all in a few hours."

She gave Bah a quick one hug and told him to tell Cox she left. She smiled and waved goodbye to the guys, giving OC a slight punch in the shoulder. Silence filled the room for a few moments after she left, but was broken by Cox reappearing from the bathroom, his hair wet and his moustache limp.

"Is HP gone?" Cox asked sadly. Rammer nodded and Cox sighed.

"What did you call her Coxy? HP, right?" he asked. Cox nodded. "What kind of a nickname is HP? We can't call her that anyway. You have the initials thing already, OC."

"Good point," OC said, chuckling at his comment. Hadn't Cox said the same thing the first time OC and Hunter met?

"We used to call her Patty, but that was her dad's nickname and she's a bit sensitive about that now." Cox's expression said that the topic of her dad was out of the question. He had talked to Hunter about it only days ago and was now updated on everything that had happened. He knew Hunter; she lashed out whenever she felt uncomfortable. Giving her her father's nickname was sure to make her feel more than uncomfortable. "Oh, wait, I've got it! I remember when we were kids and we played together, the guys used to call her Puck."

"Puck? What the hell!" Silky exclaimed.

"Yeah, Puck. She's always been a hell of a shot. I mean, she used to shoot harder than most of the boys on the team. She probably still does," Cox said, stopping for a second, remembering the old days. "She hated that name," he started again, "so much. She liked the meaning, but Puck isn't the greatest nickname ever."

"It's better than mine. I mean, really. Bah. It's the sound a sheep makes. I can't even remember how I got it."

"We know you hate your name Bah. We can talk about that later," Rammer said.

"Poor Bah. But Coxy's right, I remember that nickname. I wasn't there when she got the name," OC said, "but she told me about it the first day I met her."

"So, what? Are we calling her Puck now?" Rammer asked.

"Sure, why not? She's fun when she's a little riled up anyway," Cox replied.

"No she's not!" said a new voice. Mac stood behind everyone, snickering at the comment. "She's horrible when she's riled up."

"Not that you helped the matter last time."

"Shut it OC," Mac said, playfully shoving him. The two were on better terms now, but they still had their moments. "Anyway, avoid her when she's riled up. Really. It's a good suggestion."

"Thanks for that Mac," Cox said.

"You're very welcome."

OC rolled his eyes at Mac and grinned slightly at Cox. "I think I have to get ready for practice tonight," Cox said.

"Yeah, I think so too. My skates need sharpened, so I have to leave a little early," Bah commented.

"Okay, okay, we can tell when we aren't wanted," Pav said, with a cheesy sniffle. "Come on Rammer. Let's go." Ram nodded and both left, OC and Silky soon following.

Bah sighed. "Well now, that was fun, wasn't it?"

"Oh yes, so much fun."

"Seriously, though. I think this team just may work."

"Yeah. I think it might."

"At least I hope so. I want that medal."

"I think the medal is gonna be the least of our worries."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Of course I'm right. Hello, Bah! Who did you think you were talking to?"

All Bah could do was throw a pillow at Cox. Cox's muffled laughter could be heard as Bah walked over and laid on his bed.

"This is gonna be the year, Coxy. I can just feel it."

**You said the last ones were short. Now you get a really long one. There's no halfway with me, you'll learn quickly. I hope you enjoy. I was going out on a limb with this chapter. It's the longest one I've written and it's the most involved. Please keep reviewing! I know I haven't been putting up comments lately, but it's been hard. Please know that I love to read all your reviews. They really help me. **

**-Shelby**


	7. Talking on the Ice

**You loved the last chapter and for that, I love you all. I'm really happy everyone enjoyed it. I'm going to start writing longer chapters. It's hard because my attention span is…you get the point. This chapter will give a little more character interaction, more of Hunter's background and a little more romance. Enjoy!**

Herb had been drilling the boys for the last two weeks. He was hell bent on creaming the Norwegian's Nationals Team and the boys could tell. Practices ran late and were twice as hard. The team could have skated to Norway and back with all the distance they had skated. Luckily, Herb let up on them a little bit in the week before the game. Hurt skaters played worse than out of shape ones. This schedule was great for Hunter. When the boys were working hard, she had plenty to keep her busy. Just when she was getting sick of being around tired guys all the time, Herb let up and she could have more fun.

Less than a week before the Olympic team left for Norway, the team got off easy with one of Herb's lighter practices. Hunter skated onto the ice, ignoring the constant calls for Puck. She made a mental note to beat the living daylights out of Cox next time she saw him. Hunter planned on skating for a few minutes, then pulling out the zamboni. Her plans changed, however, when she saw Jimmy Craig still on the ice. His helmet sagged in the top of the goal and he wore a broad grin.

"You don't look tired enough Craig. Do I need to get Herb back out here?" she teased, skating over to the goal.

"No, you can keep Herb. I was wondering if you wanted a fantastic goalie to shoot on."

"A _fantastic_ goalie?" she asked. "I'd love that! Where is he?"

Jimmy laughed mockingly. "Ha ha Hunter. Very cute. What, are we in 5th grade or something?"

Hunter just shrugged. "You totally set yourself up for that one Jim. Be careful with that."

He smiled at her and laughed, honestly but lightly. "Jokes aside, would you like to? I'm really not too tired."

"Why not? You seem interesting. Are you totally opposed to talking while I shoot?"

Jimmy considered this. There was a good chance he wasn't going to be doing much responding, but if she wanted to talk, he'd be all ears. "Totally opposed?I guess that dependsonwho's talking.I'm not much of a talker on the ice. Not that I get manyoffers like this,but still."

Both chuckled and Jimmy skated back into goal. Hunter wore her skates and gloves, leaving the rest of her equipment in the spare locker room. She took a few practice shots, Jimmy easily knocking them aside. She was impressed with his skills. It wasn't enough to watch him; you had to play against him. Her eyes narrowing slightly, Hunter pulled her stick back and shot, the blade flicking off the ice and snapping the puck into the goal. Jimmy let out a small sigh of awe. This girl was better than she thought and she deserved her nickname.

"So are you going to talk, or what?" Jimmy asked as he threw back the few pucks they were using.

"Sure, sure. Just wanted a few fair shots." Hunter skated to the pucks and gently brought them back. "I'll probably just ramble on if I don't have a good topic. Anything you're curious about?"

Jimmy thought, blocking one shot but missing another. "What about your dad?" he asked.

Hunter considered it. "Not quite yet. Why don't we save that one for later?" She fought back the beginning of tears and lost a little color in her face, though Jimmy had barely seen it. She had mastered the art of hiding her feelings.

"Okay," Jimmy said. He understood what it was like to talk about parents, especially ones that weren't around anymore. "How about how you started playing hockey?"

Hunter grinned broadly, her color quickly returning. "How I started? It wasa while ago, back when I was 8 or 9 years old. My dad," she paused, chuckling at how easily it slipped back to the topic of her father. "My dad loved hockey all his life, so of course, I got involved with it. Let me tell you a little known secret. This is something thatonly Coxy knows, so keep it quiet around the boys." Hunter paused again, this time for dramatic effect. She pulled back and flung a shot just into the goal before she started again. "I couldn't skate to save my life! I was always slipping all over the place. I know you can't expect to be any good when you haven't even hit puberty yet, but I wasn't anywhere close to the other players. I didn't get good at skating until I was around 13 years old. That was the year I perfected my hockey stop and somehow everything else followed. That was when the trouble started."

"Trouble?" Jimmy asked, grabbing a shot from just inside the post. Hunter had to force back giggles; Jimmy's voice was muffled a little from his helmet and it sounded funny.

"A lot of trouble, actually. You see, when I started playing, it was even worse for girls who played hockey. When I was really little, I had no trouble. I couldn't skate and I couldn't shoot, so no one thought I'd stay with it. As I got older, people realized I was completely serious about hockey and they weren't happy. My family and I got a lot of crap from parents who didn't want me around. The worst for me was my teammates. I wanted them to want mearound but they refused to accept me. Eventually I fought my way into an all-boys league with checking, which upset most everyone. The boys loved to target me and I got hit harder than most. That was where my fighting issues started. I figured the only way I could put the boys in their place was with my fist." Hunterwas talking butpaused when she shot.Her words came out choppy, but Jimmy understood her.

"You don't seem too angry to me," Jimmy commented. He had yet to be around her when she swung a punch.

"You have a lot to learn,"she chuckled.She stopped her story to shoot three times in a row, aiming the last one at his head.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Oops. Sorry Jimmy," Hunter said without any remorse in her voice. Jimmy shook his head at her as she winked at him.

"Be nice Hunter!" Both grinned and Jimmy glided the pucks back to her. "Go on with the story. Did you meet Coxy around then?" he asked,still very curious.

"Yeah, I did. The first time I played with him was when I was 14 years old. We were playing for Jamesville Jaybirds. Can you believe the name of that team? We really played for them. It was an embarrassing time in both of our hockey careers. Embarrassing, yes,but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I never would have met Coxy if I hadn't played for them. I loved him the first time we talked. He was willing to talk to me, which made him already cool by my standards. He was so sweet and had the most hilarious laugh.

"We played together on as many teams as we could. Something about the two of us just clicked. We could always seem to find each other. He could have skated blindfolded and would have given me the perfect pass every time. Kind of like the Coneheads are, except with less testosterone."

Jimmy let a few goals go past him, smiling at her through his cage. It was obvious he was done blocking shots for the night. Hunter didn't seem to mind, only skating over to the goal and leaning on it. "You know, that makes me want you on the team even more."

"Oh Jimmy, I'm flattered. Really."

"Happy I could flatter you Hun,"Jimmy said jokingly. Hegrabbed his water bottle and squirted a little on Hunter's face. "From what I heard, you didn't know about Coxy joining the Olympicteam."

"Nope. We used to talk everyday, even when I went off to college. Then it slowly trickled away and we stopped talking. I missed the boy like Hell but there wasn't much I could do.We wereboth too busy.It's really cool that he's here now. I missed hanging out with him."

Jimmy tipped his head to the side, his bright blue eyes squinting from his smile. "Glad to hear that. It's interesting to hear about you. It was hard for me to believe you were a serious hockey player, even when you helped coach. Now that I know all this, it makes more sense."

"So enough about me. Why don't we talk about the enigma that is Jim Craig?" Jimmy shook his head, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Why would you want to hear about me?"

"I figured that was part of the deal."

"There was a deal?"

"Jimmy! Why are you avoiding this?"

He looked at her, his eyes deep with a strange emotion. "I'm not avoiding anything."

Hunter sighed in disgust. "Okay. So we aren't going to talk about you. What should we talk about?"

"How cold it is just standing around in here?"

"That would be a short conversation. I think we just may agree on that."

Jimmy smiled and thought for a moment. The light bulb seemed to go off in his head. "Would you be willing to have the parent talk if we went inside?"

Hunter's brow furrowed and she looked at the ice. If she could keep her eyes on the little pile of snow on the ground, she wouldn't get upset. "I don't talk about my parents much," she commented.

"You just did. You were talking about your dad."

"Good point." She kept her eyes on the ice, trying to knock out the desire to confess everything to Jimmy. She had talked to Coxy already and didn't feel the need to burden another person, let alone one she didn't know very well. "Why am I telling you all this?" Hunter asked, amused. "I don't open up to many people. Coxy knows the most about me, which sadly isn't much. How am I talking to you so freely?"

"I don't know Hunter," Jimmy said,lookingat the girl with sympathetic eyes. He knew what it was like to carry a burden. It was strange for him to see that Hunter had more burdens then himself. "People say I'm easy to talk to, I guess. I've been through something similar to you. Maybe you just need to vent on someone who will understand."

Hunter didn't want to let that idea cross her mind. She had grown up thinking that the only person she needed was her dad. Since he left, Hunter had grown accustom to not needing anyone but herself. She shook her head, brushing off the idea before she realized it was true.

Jimmy shrugged. If Hunter didn't want to admit it to herself, that was her decision. He would be there for her if she wanted him, but only then. He knew he wasn't the only one with that idea. 'I need to talk to Rizzo,' he thought.

"Hunter! Why don't I hear the zamboni?" Herb yelled from the locker room.

"That would be because it isn't on," Hunter yelled back jokingly. "Sorry Herb,it's not becauseI figured out how to turn off the sound." Jimmy lightly punched her in the arm, amazed that she had the nerve to talk to Herb like that.

"Very cute Hunter. If I don't hear that zamboni in the next 5 minutes, you know what I'll do."

Hunter frowned because she knew exactly what he would do. Herb was like family, but he didn't kid when it came to hockey. "Guess you'll have to get off the ice then," she said to Jimmy.

"I understand. I'll see you later. You know where to find me," he said, smiling and waving her good-bye. She watched him walk away, thefeeling of a new friendship swirling around her. Her skates pushed out as she glided over to the room with her favorite machine.

"Finally," Hunter said, climbing into the seat of the zamboni. "Just you and I." She laughed at herself. There were times when she felt so absurd and it was a nice break from remembering the past.

**There it is. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know I sure as hell don't. Writing this was near impossible. I can't believe Iwas interrupted so many times.I was so excited to write this, but putting it into words was hard. Any questions or comments on how to fix it are GREATLY appreciated. **

**Also, I am toying with the idea for a new story. It won't go up right away as I am writing this and one other fanfic at the moment, but I will work on it when I feel compelled to. My idea is to take the 1980 team into the 2006 Olympics. Whether or not it will be just the personalities of the boys or if I'll be crazy and make it time travel has not been decided. I need feedback! Even if you don't want to comment on the story, please respond to this.**

**You guys are great! I can't tell you how amazing it is to have good readers.**

**-Shelby**


	8. Unexpected Absence

**I'm so sorry guys! I've been taking forever to put up new chapters, I know. I have no excuse. Maybe some more soon? I don't know.**

"Step it up boys!" Hunter yelled. She glided along the edge of the rink, messing with the one glove that she still held. "You can't expect to get anywhere skating like that, let alone win the Olympics! It's not that difficult!"

Hunter had been helping Herb coach in the last week before the Norwegian game. They had had a lot of practices and he saw no reason for her not to get a little coaching practice. Herb had not anticipated the personality Hunter had when she was coaching. She would never let up, bugging the boys just to the point where they would listen. Herb was quite impressed with her skills. Even he was a little scared of her.

The boys were doing Herbies and Hunter was obviously getting frustrated. "No!" she screamed, throwing her gloves to the ground. Herb and Craig laughed but cowered slightly. "Damn it! Stop what you're doing and get back to the God damned line." At the beginning of her coaching, the team would have just laughed at her but they knew now she was serious.

Teeth grinding, she skated up to the line with them. She looked over at the coaches and Craig fumbled with the whistle slightly before blowing it again. The team took off, Hunter well in the lead. She skated with enough power and anger to take down the rink.

"It isn't really fair," Craig whispered to Herb. "I mean, come on, these boys have been practicing for at least an hour. All Hunter's been doing was screaming at them."

Herb smiled. He knew the care and devotion Hunter had for the sport and for the boys. "You can't tell me you've ever seen any of our boys skate as hard as she does, even at the tryouts. She's a special breed."

"I'll trust you on that one."

"You should. I've known her longer than most."

Craig chuckled and went back to watching the team. Hunter had finally called it quits and was leaning against the wall, squirting a water bottle at Cox. The boys were dispersed around the rink, some sitting and some standing, mostly talking or messing around. Hunter threw what was left of the water bottle at Cox and tore off around the rink, skating with the precision and confidence that only a seasoned player had. She glided through the groups, slowing down to laugh at Rammer, who had slipped trying to show off. She took off again, Rammer chasing only one lap before giving up.

She was skating hard, a sweat breaking out on her forehead. Jimmy Craig stood in the goal, brows furrowing at Hunter's quick approach. He thought she would veer off, maybe crash into Coxy, who was on the wall just to the left of him. He threw his hands in front of his face, blocking the unexpected snow the covered him from her stop. Hunter only grinned at him, motioning that practice was officially over. All the boys got up and went into the locker room, pushing and shoving each other.

Hunter skated over to Herb, a strange look on her face. "Hey Herb, could I see you in your office in a few? I need to get out of my skates and change and all, but I do need to talk to you."

Herb looked concerned, but tried to smile. "Sure. I'll go ahead and wait for you."

After about 10 minutes, Hunter appeared in Herb's doorway, her cheeks still slightly flushed from practice and her hair slightly askew. Otherwise, she had recovered from the practice. The smile that normally graced her lips was not present, but replaced by a shy look.

"So," she simply said, turning away from Herb. Her finger lazily ran across the doorframe, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

"What's the matter Hunter? I know you well enough. You aren't acting like yourself."

"I just wanted to come tell you," she paused, blinking back appearing tears, "that I'm not coming to Norway with you all."

Herb stared at her in disbelief. "You aren't going? You have got to be kidding me Hunter. Why the hell not?"

"I can't go Herb. I just can't."

"You're lying. There's more of a reason to it, isn't there?"

"No."

"Hunter…"

"I just can't go. There's no way."

Herb looked at her intensely. She wasn't budging and that wasn't going to work for him.

"Hunter Marie Patton, you tell me right now why you aren't going to Norway, or so help me, I will throw you off this team quicker than you'd realize."

Hunter cowered slightly. She hadn't intended for this threat. All she wanted to do was tell him that they'd be sans assistant coach number 2 for Norway. At least…that's what she kept telling herself.

She muttered something barely audible, covered slightly by the inconvenient yelling in the locker room.

"QUIET DOWN BOYS!" Herb yelled, looking at the door. Suddenly, it was quiet. "Now, what did you say Hunter?"

"I…can't afford the tickets."

"The league is paying for them. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No, Herb. The league is paying for your tickets. As I am not a technical employee, I go on my own steam."

Herb's mind paced, thinking about the rules. Seems he forgot about that little bit.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I'm sure we can find you a seat on the plane…"

"You don't get it Herb," Hunter interrupted. "I can't go. I can't fly there, I sure as hell can't stay there and I won't be able to get home. Plain and simple. Sorry Herb. I've got to go."

Hunter turned and left, her shoulders hunched slightly. Herb could hear the boys trying to talk to her in the hall. Her own silence spoke louder than any of the boys yelling.

----

It was strange not having Hunter hollering at the boys at practice the next day. Sadly for the boys, Herb decided to make up for it by screaming his own head off. The end of practice took much too long.

"Hey, Rizzo, those meatballs you made yesterday?" Silk yelled from the bench in front of his locker.

"Yeah, what about 'em?"

"If you ever want to get laid, you know, for the first time, make those for her."

Rizzo's mouth dropped open and he threw a roll of tape at Silk's head. He ducked out of the way just in time but, sadly, Bah did not.

"Come on Rizzo! Watch where you're hurling stuff!" Bah complained, throwing his hands up.

"He throws like a girl, its no big deal Bah," Buzz snickered, appearing from the showers.

"Seriously guys! Is it 'Be evil to Rizzo' day already?" He grinned and headed back to the showers himself.

Verchota got up to follow him. "That's tomorrow, I believe. National holiday. We should get strippers to celebrate!"

"Verchota, Rizzo, get back in here. I need to talk to you boys."

Herb's intimidating figure stood in the doorway, shadowing Craig behind him. "Congratulations boys. You made it this far. We leave for Norway in 3 days. That's this Thursday for those of you who can't count. Yes, I'm talking to you Silk." A couple of the boys chuckled and Silk shook his head. "You know I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. You're mostly mature, so hopefully I won't have to go through that speech. Just wanted to let you guys know that Hunter isn't going to make it to Norway with us."

All the guys looked at Herb in shock. Their favorite hard-ass coach wasn't coming? How was that possible?

"That's all," Herb said simply and left. He had unknowingly done the same thing to his players that Hunter had done to him.


End file.
